It seems that those Christians used apocryphal Scripture
(legendary tales about Jesus which were not included into the
New Testament because they were not apostolic, i.e. not
written by the inspired apostles). The Jews used the Talmud
(a rabbinical commentary on the Old Testament).

We also know of 'Hanifs' (six are mentioned by name), men
who rejected the idol worship around them and claimed to
believe in 'the God of Abraham'. We know that Abraham's son
Ishmael was the forefather of the Arabs. But it seems that
his descendants had lost all knowledge of the God of Abraham
(God = Allah in Arabic. This word was used for idols as
well). This knowledge of the 'God of Abraham' is likely to
have come back to Arabia via the Jews and the Christians.

Nomadic Bedouin tribes moved from place to place to find
grazing for their camels, cattle and goats. But in the towns,
namely Mecca and Medina, the Arabs mainly occupied with
trading. Mecca appears to have been an important link from
Ethiopia to the Middle East and from there to China, India
and Europe.

In a number of places the Arabs had built so-called
Ka'bas. These were temples which had the form of a cube built
of stones. The pagans believed that one or more of their
deities (gods) lived in those shrines.

It is generally believed that in pre-Islamic Mecca some
360 deities were worshipped. This is based on Vaqqidi's
biography of Muhammad. But Waqqidi was born 120 years after
Muhammad's death! Earlier biographies or reports made no
mention of that number. The "Kitab al-Asnam"
("The Book of Idols") by ibn al-Kalbi mentions only
27 by name, and these were by no means all from Mecca.

It might be good to know that, according to the Qur'an and
early Islamic source materials, we only know of three actual
idols 'sanam'. All other deities were not depicted, but were
assumed to live in stones 'watham'. The best known idol was
Hubal, the other two were Isaf and Na'ilah. The latter two
were believed to have been lovers, who committed fornication
in the Ka'ba and as a result were turned into stone. They
were placed on two little hills near the Ka'ba (Safa and
Marwa), while Hubal was actually in the Ka'ba of Mecca
(Siratu'l Rasul p. 97), and most probably the only image
there.

According to Islamic tradition this idol was brought from
Moab (Siratu'l Rasul pp. 50-51) by Amir b. Lahaiy.
"Hubal undoubtedly was a newcomer (to Arabia), but his
image was used to represent the older al-Liah, 'the one
worshipped', the male supreme god of the Ka'ba"
("Arabia before Muhammad" by O'Leary referring to
the "Siratu'l Rasul").

Rasul: (pl. Rusul) meaning a messenger who received a
Book, someone with a special mission [Surah 7:158;
48:8-9]. Islam acknowledges 315 rusul.

Nabi: (pl. Ambiya) is one who received direct
inspiration (wahi). Islam speaks of as many as
124.000 ambiya, most of these are not known by name.

Muhammad is called both Rasul and Nabi in Surah 33:40.

Let us understand some other words:

MUHAMMAD (like Ahmad) = The Praised One

ISLAM = Submission (to Allah)

MUSLIM = Someone who submits to Allah

Most Arabic words can be related to a root word, which
consists of three letters. Original Arabic script does not
show vowels, but only consonants. To show this we write the
vowels in small letters and the consonants in capitals.

Note the root letters for Islam in Arabic: S L
M

iSLaM

muSLiM

SaLaaM (peace)

Life Dates
of Muhammad

570 Birth of Muhammad

576 Death of his mother; brought up by
his grandfather and later by his uncle

595 Marriage to Khadija, a wealthy
widow, 15 years older than M.; Fatima, wife of
the fourth Khalif Ali, came from this marriage

Muhammad was the son of Abdullah and Amina. He was born 570 AD
in Mecca. His father died before his birth, his mother when he
was 6. After that he was brought up by his grandfather Abdu'l
Muttalib and after his death by his uncle Abu Talib. He belonged
to the clan of Hashim, which was part of the Quraish tribe of
which Abdu'l Muttalib was the chief.

In his youth Muhammad travelled widely with camel trading
caravans. He is reported to have been a quiet, amiable and
pleasant boy. In his childhood he had some occult exposure.

At the age of 25 he married Khadijah, by whom he was
employed and who was 15 years his senior. The marriage was a
happy one, and 2 boys and 4 girls were born to them. Muhammad
was widowed after 25 years of marriage.

He surely knew some biblical stories which were related to
him by some Jews and Christians, whom he met on his travels.
(Surahs 14+15).

Waraqa ibn Naufal, a cousin of Muhammad's wife Khadijah,
was a Christian and had translated (part of?) the Gospel into
Arabic (DICTIONARY OF ISLAM by T.P. Hughes, al'Bukhari
I, 3 and 'Siratu'l Rasul' by ibn Ishaq vss. 143-145). He
must, no doubt, have given considerable information about the
Bible to Muhammad.

After times of seclusion at Mt. Hira near Mecca, where he
went to meditate, he had his first revelation in a cave of
this mountain, when he was about 40 years old (610 AD):

"Ayesha reported: The
first revelation which began to be revealed to the
Apostle of Allah was correct dream in sleep [sic]. He did
not see a dream but it came like the morning dawn.
Thereafter loneliness became dear to him and he used to
seclude himself to the cave of Hira and engaged therein
in deep devotion (and it is divine service) for many
nights before he went to his house and provided himself
with food therefor. Then he would return to Khadija and
take provision for the like of them (nights) until the
truth came unto him while he was in the cave of Hira. The
angel appeared before him and said "Read". He
said: I cannot read. He narrated: Then he took me and
pressed me hard till there came great exhaustion on me;
thereafter he let me off and said: Read. I replied: I
cannot read. Then he took me and pressed me hard for the
second time until there appeared a great exhaustion on
me; thereafter he let me off. He said: Read. I said: I
cannot read. Then he took me and pressed me a third time
till there appeared a great exhaustion on me; thereafter
he let me off. He said: Read in the name of your Lord Who
created, created man from a clot. Read and your Lord is
the most Generous, Who taught with the pen, taught man
what he knew not (56:1Q). Then the Prophet returned
therewith, his heart was trembling and he went to
Khadijah and said: Wrap me up, wrap me up. Then they
wrapped him until the dread went away from him".

Mishkat IV, pp. 356-357

We have no reason to question the above as having been a
revelation. However, since the Qur'an strongly contradicts
the Bible, we may assume that this revelation came not from
the same source as the Bible.

The best and oldest biographer of Muhammad, ibn Ishaq, in
his 'Siratu'l Rasul' (vs. 152) reports:

"When it was the
night on which God honored him with his mission and
showed mercy on His servants thereby, Gabriel brought him
the command of God. "He came to me", said the
apostle of God, 'while I was asleep, with a coverlet of
brocade whereon was some writing, and said,
"Read!".

His first revelations turned against poly-theism (= many
gods) and idolatry. The Surahs (= chapters) on judgment and
condemnation were received - and proclaimed. The earlier
revelations in Mecca were written in a superior style to
those received in Medina. Most Meccan Surahs are in beautiful
poetry. Even so, Muhammad was rejected by the majority of the
Meccans. Their religion was a goodly form of income from
nomadic tribes who came to Mecca during the religious
festivities there. The Meccans themselves were seemingly not
very pious. Enduring sarcasm and spite, Muhammad gathered a
number of converts, despite being often painfully rejected
and ridiculed. It speaks for Muhammad's initial sincerity
that his first convert was his wife.

Pressure from the Meccans made some of the early converts
emigrate and settle in Abyssinia.

Muslims believe Muhammad to have been illiterate. They
reason: 'how can an illiterate man compose a book like the
Qur'an?' By this they like to refer to the authorship of
Allah. This assumption is based on the Qur'an:

Those who follow the
Apostle, the unlettered Prophet, Whom they find mentioned
in their own (Scriptures); in the law and the Gospel; for
he commands them what is just and forbids them what is
evil; he allows them as lawful what is good.

Surah 7:157

If we want to understand what the words 'unlettered'
really mean, we have to look at the Arabic text. There it
says: 'an-nabiyyal-ummi'. 'Nabi' clearly means prophet;
'ummi' is best explained by another verse:

It is He Who has sent
amongst the Unlettered an apostle from among
themselves, to rehearse to them His Signs, to sanctify
them, and to instruct them in Scripture and Wisdom.

Surah 62:2

Who are the 'unlettered' in this text? The following
commentary (see Qur'an, Yusuf Ali, footnote 5451) makes it
quite clear:

"The Unlettered:
as applied to a people, it refers to the Arabs, in
comparison with the People of the Book, who had a longer
tradition of learning, but whose failure is referred to
in verse 5 below. As applied to individuals, it means
that Allah's Revelation is for the benefit of all men,
whether they have worldly learning or not".

The word used here is 'ummiyyun', clearly the same as in
Surah 7:157.

What we are trying to say is that the word 'ummi' was used
of people who did not have the Scriptures, as the Jews and
Christians did. They were 'unscriptured', so to speak.
Muhammad understood himself, as he was also understood by his
companions, to be the prophet to those who had no Book, no
revelation, i.e. the Arabs.

Actually one should read: 'The prophet of ignorance'. The
'people of ignorance' were those who had not accepted Islam
as yet. The time of ignorance is clearly the time before
Muhammad. So it is likely that Muhammad saw himself as a
prophet to the 'people of ignorance', rather than that he
actually was completely illiterate, which is difficult to
imagine, for a merchant of his stature anyway.

That Muhammad was able to write may be deducted from the
following Tradition (Hadith):

"The Prophet, may
Allah bless him, fell ill on Thursday. Thereupon he, i.e.
Ibn 'Abbas began to weep and say: Woe be to this
Thursday! What a Thursday. The illness of the Prophet,
may Allah bless him, became severe; he said: Bring an
ink-pot and something to write on. I shall have a
document written and you will never be misguided".

Two years after the death of Khadijah, in the twelfth year
of his "calling", Muhammad is reported to have gone
on a mysterious night journey (Miraj).

The angel Gabriel cut open Muhammad in his sleep, washed
him inside with Zimzim water and filled his heart with
science and faith. An animal by the name of Buraq, apparently
horse-like and white, and with a human face, was provided for
a ride from the mosque in Mecca to the al-Aqsa mosque in
Jerusalem, from where he ascended supposedly on a ladder of
light to the heavens.

Islamic sources state that this happened "in the
spirit", his body remaining behind. But the mosque
al-Aqsa was not yet in existence at that time. Maybe the
Jewish temple was meant, although it had been completely
destroyed 550 years previously.

Islam teaches the existence of seven heavens. In the first
heaven Muhammad supposedly met Adam; in the second, John the
Baptist and Jesus; in the third, Joseph; in the fourth,
Enoch; in the fifth, Aaron; in the sixth, Moses; and in the
seventh, Abraham (who welcomed him as "Good son and good
prophet"). Fifty prayers were ordained by Allah to be
said by all believers daily. On the journey back, Moses, in
the sixth heaven, encouraged Muhammad to go back to the
seventh heaven and request a smaller quota, since this large
number would be rather impractical to execute. Ten daily
prayers were deducted. Again Moses encouraged Muhammad to go
back and ask for still fewer prayers, which was repeated
three times, until five daily were set for observance. This
Muhammad did not dare query. (According
to "Siratu'l Rasul" vs. 270-271)

Pressure on Muhammad and the Muslims in Mecca increased
when his uncle and protector Abu Talib died. Soon afterwards
a secret delegation of Muslim believers from Yathrib (a town
appr. 350 km north of Mecca) invited him to settle in their
town, offering their allegiance and protection to him. He
thus encouraged his followers (between 100-200) to emigrate
to Yathrib (later known as Medina). Muhammad and his close
companion Abu Bakr left as the last. This flight or
emigration (arab. hijra) happened in 622 AD. This date became
the beginning of the Islamic calendar. Islamic publications
will usually prefer to date history according to their own
calendar referring to AH = After the Hijrah, as against the
Christian calendar AD = Anno Domini (in the year of the
Lord).

Arriving in Medina, Muhammad and his companions were
economically dependent on the Muslims in that city, which
proved to be unsatisfactory. In addition the hoped for
support of the Jewish community failed to materialize.
Muhammad still believed to be a prophet in succession to
these mentioned in the Bible. Subsequently he also
participated in Jewish religious feasts. We have this report
about it:

"A few months after his arrival in Medina,
Muhammad saw the Jews keeping the great Fast of the
Atonement; and he readily adopted it for his own people.

Ashor, or the 'Fast of the Tenth', i.e. tenth day
of the seventh month - Lev. 23,27. It was a day of
affliction and atonement; but popular tradition at Medina
assigned to it another origin. 'When Muhammad asked the
Jews what was the origin of the fast, they said that it
was in memory of the delivery of Moses out of the hands
of Pharaoh, and the destruction of the tyrant in the Red
Sea: "We have a greater right in Moses than
they", said Muhammad; so he fasted like the Jews,
and commanded his people to fast also.

At the annual pilgrimage of Mecca victims
(slaughter animals) have from time immemorial been slain
at the close of the ceremonies in the vale of Mina. For
the first year at Medina the occasion passed unnoticed.
But, Jewish rites being still in favour, Muhammad kept
the great Day of Atonement with its sacrifice of victims
in its stead; and had he continued on a friendly footing
with the Jews, he would, no doubt, have maintained the
practice. In the following year, however, it was in
keeping with his altered relations to abandon altogether
the Jewish ritual of sacrifice, and to substitute for it
another somewhat similar in character, but grounded on
the ceremonies of the Ka'ba and held simultaneously with
them. It was after having waged war against one of the
Jewish tribes settled in the suburbs of Medina, and
having expatriated them from the country, that Muhammad
resolved upon the change. Accordingly at the moment while
the votaries of the Ka'ba were engaged in the closing
ceremonies of the pilgrimage at Mina, Muhammad, preceded
by Bilal carrying the Abyssinian staff, and followed by
the people, went forth to the place of prayer without the
city. After a service resembling that of the breaking of
the Fast, two fatted sucking kids, with budding horns,
were placed before him. Seizing a knife, he sacrificed
the first, saying: 'O Lord! I offer this for my people,
those that bear testimony to thy Unity and to my
Mission'. Then he called for the other, and, slaying it
likewise, said: 'O Lord! this is for Muhammad, and for
the family of Muhammad'. Of the latter kid both he and
his family partook, and that which was over he gave to
the poor. the double sacrifice seems in its main feature
to have been founded on the practice of the Jewish
high-priest at the Day of the Atonement, when he
sacrificed first for his own sins, and then for the
people's. The ceremony was repeated by Muhammad every
year when present at Medina, and it is still observed
throughout the Muslim world at the time when the
sacrificial rite is being performed at Mina which closes
the Greater pilgrimage.

"The Life of Muhammad" by
W.Muir, pp. 191, 194, 195

This accounts for the fact that even until today the
Jewish Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) almost coincides with
the Muslim Eid-u'l Adha, at which sacrifices are being
slaughtered, although the biblical meaning and purpose have
been totally alienated:

"... their [the
Muslims] place of sacrifice is near the ancient House
[i.e. the Ka'ba] ...the sacrificial camels We [i.e.
Allah] made for you as among the symbols from Allah ...
It is not their meat nor their blood, that reaches Allah;
it is your piety that reaches Him...".

Surah 22:33-37

Compare what the Bible says:

Where I see the blood, I will
pass over you!

Exod. 12:13

The Life of a creature is in the
blood, and I have given it for you upon the altar to make
an atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that
makes atonement for ones life.

Lev. 17:11

Without the shedding of blood
there is no forgiveness of sins.

Hebr. 9:22

The reasons why the Jews did not accept Muhammad as
their prophet:

They say: 'Why is not a
Sign sent down to him from his Lord?' Say: 'Allah hath
certainly Power to send down a Sign: but most of them
understand not'.

Surah 6:37

They [i.e. the Jews] say:
'We shall not believe in thee, until thou cause a spring
to gush forth for us from the earth or (until) thou ...
cause rivers to gush forth in their midst, carrying
abundant water ... or thou have a house adorned with
gold, or thou mount a ladder right into the skies' ...
Say: 'Glory to my Lord! Am I aught but a man - an
apostle?'.

Surah 17:90-93

We can easily detect the basis for this: Unless you have
divine credentials, we cannot accept you as a prophet from
God! Moses caused water to gush forth (out of the rock),
Solomon lived in a house adorned with gold and Jacob had a
dream about the ladder reaching to heaven.

We would do better to base our assessment of a prophet on
Deut. 18:21-22 and many similar texts. We will deal with this
later.

They (also) said: 'Allah
took our promise not to believe in an apostle unless he
showed us a sacrifice consumed by fire (from heaven)'.
Say: 'There came to you Apostles before me, with clear
Signs and even with what ye ask for: why then did ye slay
them, if ye speak the truth?'. Then if they reject thee,
so were rejected Apostles before thee, who came with
clear Sings, Books of dark prophecies, and the Book of
Enlightenment'.

Surah 3:183-184

These verses reflect on Elijah on Mt. Carmel. The apology:
Yes, there were Apostles who performed miracles, and yet the
Jews did not listen to them.

The 'signs' of Muhammad's prophethood:

These are the Signs of
Allah: We rehearse them to thee in truth: verily thou art
one of the Apostles.

Surah 2:252

Muhammad lets Allah say that the qualifying signs (aya)
are the revealed verses (= aya) of the Qur'an! Even so one
can sense the frustration of Muhammad; but also his reaction:
defense ("I am only a warner") and threat (severe
punishment):

And the Unbelievers say:
'Why is not a Sign sent down to him from his Lord?' But
thou art truly a warner, and to every people a guide.

Surah 13:7

When there comes to them a
Sign (from Allah), they say: 'We shall not believe until
we receive one (exactly) like those received by Allah's
apostles'. Allah knoweth best where (and how) to carry
out his mission. Soon will the wicked be overtaken by
humiliation before Allah, and a severe punishment for all
their plots.

Surah 6:124

The Jews, after rejecting Muhammad's prophethood, are
persecuted:

An unequivocal threat to the Jews (the clans [arab.'Banu']
Quraiza, Nadir and Qainuqa) is evident in the following
tradition:

"It has been narrated on the authority of Abu
Huraira who said: We were (sitting) in the mosque when
the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) came to us
and said: (Let us) go to the Jews. We went out with him
until we came to them. The Messenger of Allah (may peace
be upon him) stood up and called out to them (saying): O
ye assembly of Jews, accept Islam (and) you will be safe.
They said: Abu'l-Qasim, you have communicated (God's
Message to us). The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon
him) said: I want this (i.e. you should admit that God's
Message has been communicated to you), accept Islam and
you would be safe. They said: Abu'l-Qasim, you have
communicated (Allah's Message). The Messenger of Allah
(may peace be upon him) said: I want this ... He said to
them (the same words) the third time (and on getting the
same reply) he added: You should know that the earth
belongs to Allah and His Apostle, and I wish that I
should expel you from this land. Those of you who have
any property with them should sell it, otherwise they
should know that the earth belongs to Allah and His
Apostle (and they may have to go away leaving everything
behind)".

Sahih Muslim vol 3, p.963, or
chapter DCCXXIII and vers 4363.

It is surely understandable by biblical standards that the
Jews intended not to give in. This, however, produced severe
consequences for them:

"It has been narrated
on the authority of Ibn Umar that the Jews of Banu Nadir
and Banu Quraiza fought against the Messenger of Allah
(may peace be upon him) who expelled Banu Nadir, and
allowed Quraiza to stay on, and granted favour to them
until they too fought against him. Then he killed their
men and distributed their women, children and properties
among the Muslims, except that some of them had turned to
the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) who
granted them security. They embraced Islam. The Messenger
of Allah (may peace be upon him) turned out all the Jews
of Medina, Banu Qainuqa (the tribe of Abdullah b.Salam)
and the Jews of Banu Haritha and every other Jew who was
in Medina".

Sahih Muslim Vol. III, pp. 963-965,
vss. 4363-4364 and 4366

"Then the apostle
divided the property, wives, and children of B.Qurayza
among the Muslims. The apostle had chosen one of their
women for himself, Rayhana d.Amr b.Khunafa, one of the
women of B.Amr b.Qurayza, and she remained with him until
she died, in his power. The apostle had proposed to marry
her and put the veil on her, but she said: 'Nay, leave me
in your power, for that will be easier for me and for
you'. So he left her".

Siratu'l Rasul vss. 690, 691 and 693

"Then God revealed
the verse: 'It is not befitting for a prophet that he
should take prisoners until the force of the disbelievers
has been crushed ...' to the end of the verse: 'so eat ye
the spoils of war, (it is) lawful and pure. So Allah made
booty lawful for them".

Sahih Muslim, p. 962

Thus practically all Jews of Arabia were either killed or
were chased from their homes and country. The common
accusation that the Banu Qurayza were treacherous is false.
The Quraysh (tribe that lived in and around Mecca) tried to
win them for their cause, but the Qurayza remained neutral.
This was apparently their crime!

Initially Muhammad had a high regard for the Christians.
However, when most of them did not respond to his call to
Islam, he changed his mind about them and shortly before his
death he even cursed them.

Strongest among men in
enmity to the Believers wilt thou find the Jews and
Pagans; and nearest among them in love to the Believers
wilt thou find those who say, 'We are Christians':
Because amongst these are men devoted to learning and men
who have renounced the world, and they are not arrogant.

Surah 5:82

Both Jews and Christians were only acceptable to Muhammad
once they had acknowledged him as prophet.

Never will the Jews
or the Christians be satisfied with thee unless thou
follow their form of religion. Say: 'The guidance of
Allah - that is the (only) guidance'. Wert thou to follow
their desires after the knowledge which hath reached
thee, then wouldst thou find neither protector nor Helper
against Allah.

Surah 2:120

O ye who believe! Take not
the Jews and the Christians for your friends and
protectors; They are but friends and protectors to each
other. And he amongst you that turns to them (for
friendship) is of them. Verily Allah guideth not a people
unjust.

Surah 5:54

"Let not the
Believers take for friends or helpers Unbelievers rather
than Believers; if any do that, in nothing will there
be help from Allah: except by way of precaution, that ye
may Guard yourselves from them. But Allah cautions you
(to remember) Himself; for the final goal is to
Allah".

Surah 3:28

The Jews call Uzair
[Ezra?] a son of Allah, and the Christians call Christ
the son of Allah. That is a saying from their mouths; (in
this) they but imitate what the unbelievers of old used
to say. Allah's curse be on them! How they are deluded
away from the Truth!

After having settled in Medina and after a Charter had
been written to regulate life between the various differing
tribes in the town, a means of livelihood had to be found.
This led Muhammad to undertake "expeditions". He
sent groups of his soldiers to raid Meccan trading caravans
in order to find booty. Against the rule not to fight in the
'holy months', a contingent of troops raided a trading
caravan. This caused havoc in his own camp because a Meccan
had been killed in the month in which bloodshed was
forbidden. Promptly a "revelation" came:

They ask thee concerning
fighting in the prohibited month. Say: 'Fighting therein
is a grave (offence): but graver is it in the sight of
Allah to prevent access to the path of Allah to deny Him;
to prevent access to the Sacred Mosque, and drive out its
members'. Tumult and oppression are worse than slaughter.

Surah 2:217

When later on a large caravan was to pass Badr in the
South-West of Medina on its way to Mecca from Palestine, the
Meccans anticipated an attack and got supporting forces from
the city, this led to the Battle of Badr (2 years
after the Hijrah) With only 300 men but in a superior
strategic position, Muhammad defeated the close to 1 000
Meccans. This victory gained him a tremendous status and his
army grew rapidly. Many see the Battle of Badr as a real
turning point for Muhammad.

Two major battles were still fought, besides a number of
smaller skirmishes: The Battle of Uhud and the Battle
of the Ditch (Trench). At Uhud Muhammad lost. He was
wounded in the fighting. But the Meccans did not take
advantage of their victory - a most fortunate situation for
the Muslims.

When the Meccans came again to deal the final blow to
Muhammad, they brought all their allies along, but Muhammad
had trenches dug at strategic places around Medina to prevent
the enemy cavalry from using its advantages. Subsequently the
Meccans withdrew after a couple of skirmishes - never to
recover from this loss of face. In the year 9AH Muhammad took
Mecca without a fight with 10 000 soldiers.

Muslims emphatically insist that the Jihad, or Holy War,
was only a means of defense, and was never used as an
offensive act. This is underlined in the explanatory notes of
a collection of the Traditions:

"Thus Jihad in Islam
is not an act of violence directed indiscriminately
against the non-Muslims; it is the name given to an
all-round struggle which a Muslim should launch against
evil in whatever form or shape it appears. Quital fi
sabilillah (fighting in the way of Allah) is only one
aspect of Jihad. Even this qilal in Islam is not an act
of mad brutality. It has its material and moral
functions, i.e. self-preservation and the preservation of
the moral order in the world".

Sahih Muslim III, p. 938

"... the sword has
not been used recklessly by the Muslims; it has been
wielded purely with humane feelings in the wider interest
of humanity".

ibid, p. 941

Let us investigate how this claim is supported in other
Islamic sources and by the actual facts of history.

"Jihad is one of the
chief meritorious acts in the eye of Islam and it is the
best source of earnings but it shall be undertaken with
the intention of self-defense".

Mishkat II, p. 340 - explanatory note

"This is the best
method of earning both spiritual and temporal. If victory
is won, there is enormous booty and conquest of a country
which cannot be equalled to any other source of earning.
If there is defeat or death, there is ever-lasting
Paradise and a great spiritual benefit. This sort of
Jihad is conditional upon pure motive i.e. for establishing
the kingdom of Allah on earth".

Mishkat II, p. 253

But when the forbidden
months are past, then fight and slay the pagans wherever
ye find them and seize them, beleaguer them and lie in
wait for them in every stratagem (of war).

Surah 9:5

Therefore, when ye meet
the unbelievers (in fight), smite at their necks; at
length, when ye have thoroughly subdued them, bind a bond
firmly (on them); thereafter (is the time for) either
generosity or ransom: until the war lays down its
burdens. thus (are ye commanded): but if it has been
Allah's will he could certainly have exacted retribution
from them (himself). But (He lets you fight) in order to
test you.

Surah 47:4

Fight those who believe
not in Allah nor the Last Day. Nor hold that forbidden
which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Apostle, nor
acknowledge the Religion of Truth (even if they are) of
the People of the Book. Until they pay the Jizya with
willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.

Surah 9:29

And fight them on until
there is no more tumult or oppression, and there prevails
justice and faith in Allah altogether and everywhere.

Surah 8:39

All of the above texts are contradicted by:

Let there be no compulsion
in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error.

Surah 2:256

Say: O ye that reject
Faith! I worship not that which ye worship. Nor will ye
worship that which I worship. And I will not worship that
which ye have been wont to worship. Nor will ye worship
that which I worship. To you be your Way, and to me mine.

Surah 109:1-6

We learn with regard to the Jihad, that:

"Abu Hurairah reported that the
Messenger of Allah said: To whichever village you go and
settle therein, there is your share therein, and
whichever village disobeys Allah and His Messenger, its
one-fifth is for Allah and His Messenger, and the
remainder is for you".

Mishkat II, p. 412

Does this sound of 'swords being wielded purely with
humane feelings in the interest of humanity'?

This income, no doubt, was at the expense of someone
else's livelihood. Let us look at Muslim warfare in practice.

These are the choices of the defeated (According to
DICTIONARY OF ISLAM, p. 243):

The acceptance of Islam, in which case the conquered
became enfranchised citizens of the Muslim state.

The payment of poll-tax (Jizya) by which people of
the book, i.e. Jews and Christians obtained
"protection", becoming 'Zimmis'.

Death by the sword to those who would not either
accept Islam nor pay the poll-tax.

"The Jews were
allowed to stay at Khaibar on condition that they would
pay half the produce of their lands to the Holy Prophet
and in addition Jizya tax".

Mishkat II, p. 455 - footnote

"After the battle of
Badr, the verse dealing with the booties was first
revealed. The verse introduced the rule for the first
time that the spoils of war would be the property of
the soldiers who actually take part in the battle.
Previously it went either to the coffers of the
victorious king or commander even though he did not join
in the actual fight. That is one of the reasons why
the soldiers of Islam fought tooth and nail. They would
get Paradise in case of death in a holy war, and booties
in case of conquest, Jihad is therefore the best source
of all acquisitions".

Mishkat II, p. 406

Booty included women:

"In the actual
war-field in the midst of hostilities, according to some
jurists, some concessions were sometimes given to
soldiers for recreation. Captive virgin girls in war were
once made lawful for the soldiers for copulation"

Mishkat II, p. 440

"Abdullah (b.Masud)
reported: We were on an expedition with Allah's Messenger
(may peace be upon him) and we had no women with us. We
said: Should we not have ourselves castrated? He (the
Holy Prophet) forbade us to do so. He then granted us
permission that we should contract temporary marriage for
a stipulated period giving her a garment, and Abdullah
then recited this verse: 'Those who believe do not make
unlawful the good things which Allah has made lawful for
you, and do not transgress. Allah does not like
transgressors".

Sahih Muslim II, p. 705

This practice is called 'mut'ah'. It is still practiced
among Shiá Muslims and was indeed recommended, even for
school children, by the 'Ayatollah Khomeini'.

This was not only in a war situation:

"Ibn Juraij reported:
Ata reported that Jabir b.Abdullah came to perform Umra,
and we came to his abode, and the people asked him about
different things, and then they made a mention of
temporary marriage, whereupon he said: Yes, we had been
benefiting ourselves by this temporary marriage during
the lifetime of the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him)
and during the time of Abu Bakr and Umar.

Jabir b.Abdullah reported:
We contracted temporary marriage giving a handful of
dates or flour as a dower during the lifetime of Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) and during the time of
Abu Bakr until Umar forbade it in the case of Amr
b. Hurith.

Sabra Juhanni reported:
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) permitted
temporary marriage for us. So I and another person went
out and saw a woman of Banu Amir, who was like a young
long-necked she-camel. We presented ourselves to her (for
contracting temporary marriage), whereupon she said: What
dower would you give me? I said: My cloak. And my
companions also said: My cloak. And the cloak of my
companion was superior to my cloak, but I was younger
than he. So when she looked at the cloak of my companion
she liked it, and when she cast a glance at me I looked
more attractive to her. She then said: Well, you and your
cloak are sufficient for me. I remained with her for
three nights, and then Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) said he who has any such woman with whom he had
contracted temporary marriage, he should let her
off".

Sahih Muslim II, p. 706

There is little wonder that a poem ascribed to Ali ibn Abi
Talib, reads thus:

"Our flowers are the sword and the dagger;
Narcissus and myrtle are nought.
Our drink is the blood of our foeman;
Our goblet his skull, when we've fought".

The claim that Muslims acted only in defense is simply not
true. What were the Muslims defending in Spain, France,
India, Persia or at the very gates of Vienna?

To an objective observer the following picture emerges:
interest in material gain and political power were in fact
more important than the making of converts. One can hardly
help feeling that the Holy War was a pretence to make booty
and receive continuing taxes. Many a man was persuaded to
join the 'Holy war' and thus became a mercenary.

This interest no doubt gave enormous political and
military momentum to the cause of Islam. Each warrior had a
right to the belongings of the man he had slain, and could
sell for ransom any prisoner he had made. Women and children
were also reckoned as booty. A Muslim saw no moral
irregularity in taking married women prisoners as concubines,
as long as they were not pregnant.

This was an economic proposition. Soldiers whose only
income is booty must keep on fighting to secure their
livelihood. Booty lured many men to the army, which naturally
kept growing.

You have heard that it was said,
'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth'. But I tell you, Do
not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the
right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone
wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your
cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one kilometer,
go with him two kilometers. Give to the one who asks you,
and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow
from you. you have heard that it was said: 'Love your
neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, Love your
enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

We are aware that at the time of Muhammad there was no
Geneva Convention regulating international relations even in
war times, or particularly, the treatment of prisoners. But
there have always been ethics. While punishment must be meted
out, both the Old and the New Testament demand fairness while
dealing with lawbreakers or criminals.

"On tomorrow, the prisoners were brought up
before him. As he scrutinized each, his eye fell fiercely
on Nadhr, son of Harish. 'There was death in that
glance', whispered Nadhr, trembling to a bystander. 'Not
so', replied the other, 'it is but thine own
imagination'. The unfortunate prisoner thought otherwise
and besought Musab to intercede for him. Musab reminded
him that he had denied the faith and persecuted
Believers. Ah, said Nadhr, had the Coreish be made the
prisoners. they would never have met the death! 'Even
were it so' Mohammad scornfully replied 'I am not as thou
and Islam hath rent all bounds asunder. Micda, the
captor, fearing lest the prisoner, and with him the
chance of a rich ransom, was about to slip from his
hands, cried out, 'The prisoner is mine'. But at this
moment the command to strike off his head! was interposed
by Mohammad, who has been watching what passed. 'And, O
Lord' he added, 'do thou of thy bounty grant unto Micdad
a better prey than this'. Nadhr was forthwith beheaded by
Ali.

Two days afterwards, about half-way to Medina,
Ocba, another prisoner, was ordered out for execution. He
ventured to expostulate and demand why he should be
treated more rigorously than the other captives. 'Because
of thy enmity to God and to His Prophet', replied
Mohammad. 'And my little girl' cried Ocba, in the
bitterness of his soul, 'who will take care of her?'
'Hell-fire!' exclaimed the heartless conqueror, and on
the instant his victim was hewn to the ground".

"When the apostle
heard what she had said he said, 'Who will rid me of
Marwan's daughter? Umayr B.Adiy al-Khatmi who was with
him heard him, and that very night he went to her house
and killed her. In the morning he came to the apostle and
told him what he had done and he said, 'You have helped
God and His apostle, O Umayr!'. When he asked if he would
have to bear any evil consequences the apostle said, 'Two
goats won't butt their heads about her', so Umayr went
back to his people".

Muhammad had called for a volunteer to carry out the
assassination of one of his personal enemies. Muhammad b.
Maslama offered his services with these words:

"He said, 'O Apostle
of God, we shall have to tell lies'. He answered, 'Say
what you like, for you are free in the matter'".

Siratu'l Rasul, vs. 151

"It has been narrated
on the authority of Jabir that the Messenger of Allah
(may peace be upon him) said: Who will kill Ka'b
b.Ashraf? He has maligned Allah, the Exalted, and His
Messenger, Muhammad b. Maslama said: Messenger of Allah,
do you wish that I should kill him? He said: Yes. He
said: Permit me to talk (to him in the way I deem fit).
He said: Talk (as you like). So Muhammad b.Maslama came
to Ka'b and talked to him, referred to the old friendship
between them and said: This man (i.e. the Holy Prophet)
has made up his mind to collect charity (from us) and
this has put us to a great hardship. When he heard this,
Ka'b said: By God, you will be put to more trouble by
him. Muhammad b.Maslama said: No doubt, now we have
become his followers and we do not like to forsake him
until we see what turn his affairs will take. I want that
you should give me a loan. He said: What will you
mortgage? He said: What do you want? He said: Pledge me
your women. He said: You are the most handsome of the
Arabs; should we pledge our women to you? He said: pledge
me your children. He said: the son of one of us may abuse
us saying that he was pledged for two wasqs of dates, but
we can pledge you (our) weapons. He said: All right. Then
Muhammad b.Maslama promised that he would come to him
with Hartih, Au Abs b.Jabr and Abbad b.Bishr. So they
came and called upon him at night. He came down to them.
Sufyan says that all the narrators except Amr have stated
that his wife said: I hear a voice which sounds like the
voice of murder. He said: it is only Muhammad b.Maslama
and his foster-brother, Abu Na'ila. When a gentleman is
called at night even if to be pierced with a spear, he
should respond to the call. Muhammad said to his
companions: As he comes down, I will extend my hands
towards his head and when I hold him fast, you should do
your job. So when he came down and he was holding his
cloak under his arm, they said to him: We sense from you
a very fine smell. He said: Yes, I have with me a
mistress who is the most scented of the women of Arabia.
He said: Allow me to smell (the scent on your head). He
said: Yes, you may smell. So he caught it and smelt. Then
he said: Allow me to do so (once again). He then held his
head fast and said to his companions: do you job. And
they killed him".

Sahih Muslim III, p. 990-991

The Siratu'l Rasul continues the same story:

"They walked on
farther ... Ka'b suspected no evil. Then he cried, 'Smite
the enemy of God!' So they smote him, and their swords
clashed over him with no effect. Muhammad b.Maslama said,
'I remembered my dagger when I saw that our swords were
useless, and I seized it. Meanwhile the enemy of God had
made such a noise that every fort around us was showing a
light. I thrust it into the lower part of his body, then
I bore down upon it until I reached his genitals, and the
enemy of God fell to the ground. Al-Harith had been hurt,
being wounded either in his head or in his foot, one of
our swords having struck him.

We carried him and brought
him to the apostle at the end of the night. We saluted
him as he stood praying, and he came out to us, and we
told him that we had killed God's enemy. He spat upon our
comrade's wounds, and both he and we returned to our
families. Our attack upon God's enemy cast terror among
the Jews, and there was no Jew in Medina who did not fear
for his life. The apostle said, 'Kill any Jew that falls
into your power'".

"When Aus had killed
Ka'b for his enmity towards the apostle, Khazraj used
these words and asked themselves what man was as hostile
to the apostle as Ka'b? And then they remembered Sallam,
who was in Khaybar and asked and obtained the apostle's
permission to kill him.

Five men of B.Salima of
Khazraj went to him: 'Abdullah b.Atik; Mas'ud b.Sinan;
Abdullah b.Unays; Abu Qatada al-Harith b.Rib'i; and
Khuza'i b.Aswad, an ally from Aslam. As they left, the
apostle appointed Abdullah b.Atik as their leader, and he
forbade them to kill women or children. When they got to
Khaybar they went to Sallam's house by night, having
locked every door in the settlement on the inhabitants.
Now he was in an upper chamber of his to which a ladder
led up. They mounted this until they came to the door and
asked to be allowed to come in. His wife came out and
asked who they were and they told her that they were
Arabs in search of supplies. She told them that their man
was here and that they could come in. When we entered we
bolted the door of the room on her and ourselves fearing
lest something should come between us and him. His wife
shrieked and warned him of us, so we ran at him with our
swords as he was on his bed. The only thing that guided
us in the darkness of the night was his whiteness like an
Egyptian blanket. When his wife shrieked one of our
number would lift his sword against her; then he would
remember the apostle's ban on killing women and withdraw
his hand; but for that we would have made an end of her
that night. When we had smitten him with our swords
Abdullah B.Unays bore down with his sword into his belly
until it went right through him, as he was saying Qatni,
qatni, i.e. it's enough.

We went out. Now Abdullah
b.Atik had poor sight, and fell from the ladder and
sprained his arm (729) severely, so we carried him until
we brought him to one of their water channels and went
into it. The people lit lamps and went in search of us in
all directions until, despairing of finding us, they
returned to their master and gathered round him as he was
dying. We asked each other how we could know that the
enemy of God was dead, and one of us volunteered to go
and see; so off he went and mingled with the people. He
said, 'I found his wife and some Jews gathered round him.
She had a lamp in her hand and was peering into his face
and saying to them 'By God, I certainly heard the voice
of Abdullah B.Atik. Then I decided I must be wrong and
thought, 'How can Ibn Atik be in this country?' Then she
turned towards him, looking into his face, and said, 'By
the God of the Jews he is dead!' Never have I heard
sweeter words than those.

Then he came to us and
told us the news, and we picked up our companion and took
him to the apostle and told him that we had killed God's
enemy. We disputed before him as to who had killed
him, each of us laying claim to the deed. The apostle
demanded to see our swords and when he looked at them he
said, 'It is the sword of Abdullah b.Unays that killed
him; I can see traces of food on it'".

"Bara's reported: The
Holy prophet sent a party to Abu Rafe. Abdullah
b.Atik entered his house at night while he was asleep and
killed him. Abdullah b.Atik said afterwards: I fixed my
sword over his belly till it went out by his back. Then I
could recognize that I had killed him".

Mishkat IV, p. 404

While this is fitting political hit-squad intrigue and
faction hatred, we deem it not fitting for a man of God to
act like this - particularly so after the Lord Jesus Christ
has opened our understanding to Christian ethics. While
Church history has a lot to say about all kinds of enmity,
intrigue and even murder, this cannot be traced back to the
teaching or actions of Jesus Christ. What a contrast we find
in Muhammad:

"The apostle said,
'Kill any Jew that falls into your power'. Thereupon
Muhayyisa b.Mas'lud leapt upon Ibn Sunayna, a Jewish
merchant with whom they had social and business
relations, and killed him. Huwayyisa was not a Muslim at
the time though he was the elder brother. When Muhayyisa
killed him Huwalyyisa began to beat him, saying, 'You
enemy of God, did you kill him when much of the fat on
your belly comes from his wealth?' Muhayyisa answered,
'Had the one who ordered me to kill him ordered me to
kill you I would have cut your head off'".

Siratu'l Rasul, vs. 554

During the latter part of his life Muhammad initiated at
least 27 murders, or 'executions', as Muslims might say
today.

We have to realize that Muhammad lived ± 600 years after
Jesus revealed to us God and his plans and purposes for our
lives. A comparison with the Old Testament, in which polygamy
(to be married to more than one wife) or divorce was
tolerated by God, is therefore not justified.

A Muslim man is allowed to marry up to four wives
(excluding concubines).

Marry women of your
choice, two, or three, or four. But if ye fear that ye
shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only
one, or (a captive) that your right hands possess, that
will be more suitable, to prevent you from doing
injustice.

Surah 4:3

Muhammad had lived 25 years in marriage with his first
wife Khadija. After her death, which roughly coincided with
the Hijra to Medina, he married about thirteen wives. All
except Ayesha were widows or divorcees. (See list in the
appendix).

Strangely this lead Muslims to glorify Muhammad's
behaviour. He is viewed as a man full of compassion who
salvaged these women from an unprotected way of life and
cared for them. We do not want to dispute this in some
cases, but would like to reveal the other side as well:

Some of the widows he married became widows through him
and his Muslim soldiers! We like to state again that all
our information on early Islam derives from Islamic sources.

"Mary (the Copt) was a Christian slave given
to Muhammad 7 AH (628 AD) by the Governor of Egypt,
Elmokaukas. Her sister, Shereena, was also given at the
same time. Muhammad became intimate with Mary and she
bore him Ebrahim, who died in 10 AD. Intimacy took place
in the home and bed of his wife Hafsah (daughter of Umar)
who was absent at that moment and on the day which was
either her or Aysha's turn. When Hafsah found this out
and questioned him he promised (on oath) not to touch
Mary again if she would keep this a secret, and promised
that Umar and Abu Bakr should be his successors. Hafsah,
however, did not keep quiet and told Aysha about this
event. As a result Muhammad had no dealings with any of
his wives for a full month, living with Mary alone".

O Prophet! Why holdest
thou to be forbidden that which ;Allah has made lawful to
thee? Thou seekest to please thy consorts. But Allah is
Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. Allah has already ordained
for you (O men) the dissolution of your oaths (in some
cases)[this insert is not part of the text] and Allah is
your Protector, and He is full of knowledge and wisdom.
When the Prophet disclosed a matter in confidence to one
of his consorts, and she then divulged it (to another),
and Allah made it known to him, he confirmed part thereof
and repudiated a part ... It may be, if he divorced you
(all) that Allah will give him in exchange consorts
better than you - who submit (their wills), who believe,
who are devout, who turn to Allah in repentance, who
worship (in humility), who travel (for faith) and fast -
previously married or virgins.

"It is related that
Mohammed was alone in company with Mary in Ayesha's or
Hafsah's turn. Hafsah became aware of that and therefore
scolded him about it. He declared he had taken an oath,
but admitted his unlawful behaviour, therefore these
verses descended".

We ought to be aware that many a Muslim takes grave
offense at the above recorded event. To illustrate this, and
extract from the book "Namoose Rasool" by Hafiz
Muhammad Sawar Qureshi is added:

"In Defense of the Honor of Muhammad
Peace and blessing of Allah be on him

One day in April 1978, I
was studying Maudoodi's famous commentary on the Qur'an,
Tafhimul Qur'an, volume 4. I had to look up something
concerning the wives of the Prophet. Suddenly I read this
about Mary the Copt (may Allah be pleased with her):
'(The Prophet of God) took Mary Qabtia, who had been sent
by the Maqauqus (ruler of Egypt) especially for himself.
The first three mentioned he freed and married but with
Mary he had intercourse on the basis of his having her in
his power. It is not proven about her that he freed her
and married her' (Tafhimul Qur'an, Vol. 4, commentary on
sura al-Ahzab, verse 50, note number 88, pages 113-114).

Such was the effect of
this reading on my mind and soul that, without
exaggeration, for three straight days I could no longer
believe even in the prophethood and messengership of
Muhammad (may peace and blessings of Allah be on him).
Again and again I said to my friends: See and check. Has
Maudoodi actually written that about Mary the Copt which
I have understood? At my insistence, my friends again and
again read the relevant passage and said to me: Surely
this writings means what you have understood it to mean.

I cannot explain fully
what was the condition of my mind at that time. Strange
doubts and fears of a nature that would put me outside
the limits of Islam arose in my mind about the mission of
the leader and seal of the prophet. I was so disturbed
because the ugly act which Maudoodi was attributing to
the messenger of God was so hideous that even a sinful
person like myself could not have committed it or thought
of committing it. How could a great messenger of God,
walking on the path of Truth, have done such a thing?
Whatever else such a person might be, he certainly would
not be the messenger of God. Consider what would happen
when this extemely misleading commentary would be
translated into the English language and other
international languages and would reach the nations of
the world! What opinion would they form of the best men,
Muhammad, (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) after
reading Maudoodi's commentary when they (especially the
Europeans) are already very much prejudiced against the
Prophet owing to other misleading and distorted versions
of Islam which have reached them! Alas, would there be
such a true believer who, out of sheer love of the
truthful Prophet, make sure that this misleading
commentary would not be able to do the harm it is capable
of doing? Perhaps such a believer could use my book
'Namoose Rasool' (The Honor of the Prophet's Household)
to prove to the non-Muslim peoples that the ugly
tradition of slavery and concubining was not invented by
the Messenger of God.

Some people may object to
the weakness of my faith; however it is not a question of
the weakness of my faith but of the credibility of my
appropriate witnessing. We know from the Qur'an that it
is correct to assume that faith can increase and also
become weaker on the basis of reason and reliable
evidence. My faith is based on the truthfulness and
justice of the holy Qur'an and the highest moral and
ethical example of the messenger of God referred to in
the Qur'an as 'the pattern of excellence'. Hence imagine
my mental condition when the greatest scholar and thinker
of Islam in these times comes forward as a witness and
testifies that whatever the enemies of Islam had been
saying in their malice and hate about the messenger was
partially, if not entirely true. The stories that the
Prophet was a lustful person and used women as concubines
(O Allah forgive us) and that Muslims could take men as
slaves, even without war, and take women from decent
households and use them as concubines and 'keeps' without
benefit of marriage, was being given the seal of
authenticity by a scholar of Islam.

It is clear that Mary the
Copt was not taken prisoner in a war. And according to
Maudoodi, the messenger of Islam took her as his
concubine without any fault of hers and entirely
according to the tradition of the unbelievers. This would
go even against what the generality of Islamic scholars
say and agree upon, that Islam did put an end to slavery
that was rampant among the unbelievers and the
associates, and that whatever slavery Islam did 'permit',
had to do only with the prisoner of war. Even if this
viewpoint is true, how would it be proper to justify the
enslavement of Mary the Copt by the great moral
messenger? Was she being treated as a prisoner of war? Or
had she been taken and enslaved merely on the basis of
the established tradition of slavery among the associates
and unbelievers?

Thus when we get this
witness from the greatest scholar of Islam in our time,
that 'in fact' the messenger of Islam had not even been
forced by the conditions of war but had merely, according
to unislamic culture then prevalent, taken Mary as a
slave girl, and that too without marriage, and forced her
entry into his household, then who would conscientiously
believe in the messengership of such a person? Surely
this was a deed which went against the very Qur'an which
the messenger had been sent to teach and publicize. It is
of course true that some other Muslim commentators and
historians have also written that Mary was the slave girl
of the Prophet. This took the meaning in my mind that
originally she was a slave girl but the Messenger of God
must have married her. This did not leave a bad
impression. But the words Maudoodi used, that it had not
been proven that the Prophet ever married her, were
shattering. Such misleading words I had not come across
from a scholar of Islam".

The sad fact is that Mary the Copt was a concubine of
Muhammad. The conclusion that 'what must not be cannot be' is
as false as the supposition that Islam put an end to slavery.

We can clearly see that the longing of genuine people for
purity is indeed a tool in evangelism we should not fail to
use.

"Muhammad beheld her
after he had wedded her to him (Zaid), and she fell into
his soul: therefore he said, 'Praise to God who turneth
hearts upside down'. And Zainab heard the ascription of
praise, and mentioned it to Zaid. He was quick to
understand that, and there occurred to his soul an
aversion from her society. Therefore he came to the
Prophet and said, 'I desire to put away my consort'
(Muhammad) said, 'What is the matter with thee? Has
anything made thee doubtful of her?'. (Zaid) said, 'No,
by God, I have seen nothing (done) by her but what is
good; but truly her dignity is too exalted for me'.
Accordingly he said to him, 'Keep thy wife to thyself'
... 'Therefore when Zaid satisfied a requirement from
her', i.e. a need; since he wearied of her, and he
divorced her, and her time was completed ...'We wedded
her to thee': ... the meaning is that He commanded him to
wed her, or He made her his (Muhammad's) wife without the
interposition of a marriage-contract. And what confirms
it (this explanation) is that she used to say to the rest
of the Prophet's wives, 'Verily God acted the part of a
relative in my being given in marriage, and, as for you,
your relatives gave you in marriage'. And it is said that
Zaid was the go-between in her betrothal, and that was a
real trial, and an evident witness to the strength of his
faith".

Commentary of Al Baizawi, Vol. PP, p.
129; Mizanu'l Haqq, pp. 331-332

"Allah's Messenger
(may peace be upon him) said to Zaid to make a mention
to her about him. Zaid went on until he came to her
and she was fermenting her flour. He (Zaid) said: As I
saw her I felt in my heart an idea of her greatness so
much so that I could not see towards her (simply for a
fact) and Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) had
made a mention of her. So I turned my back towards her,
and I turned upon my heels and said: Zainab, Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) has sent (me) with a
message to you. She said: I do not do anything until I
consult the will of my Lord. So she stood at her place of
worship and the (verses of) the Qur'an (pertaining to her
marriage) were revealed, and Allah's Messenger (may peace
be upon him) came to her without permission".

Sahih Muslim II, p. 724

And this is the "revelation" which was then
given:

It is not fitting for a
Believer, man or woman, when a matter has been decided by
Allah and His Apostle, to have any option about their
decision. If anyone disobeys Allah and His Apostle, he is
indeed on a clearly wrong path.

Behold! though didst say
to one who had received the grace of Allah and thy
favour: 'Retain thou (in wedlock) thy wife, and fear
Allah'. But thou didst hide in thy heart that which Allah
was about to make manifest: thou didst fear the people,
but it is more fitting that thou shouldst fear Allah.
Then when Zaid had dissolved (his marriage) with her,
with the necessary (formality), we joined her in marriage
to thee; in order that (in future) there may be no
difficulty to the Believers in (the matter of) marriage
with the wives of their adopted sons, when the latter
have dissolved with the necessary (formality)(Their
marriage) with them: and Allah's command must be
fulfilled.

There can be no difficulty
to the Prophet in what Allah has indicated to him as a
duty.

"Aisha (Allah be
pleased with her) reported that Allah's Apostle (may
peace be upon him) married her when she was seven years
old, and she was taken to his house as a bride when she
was nine, and her dolls were with her; and when he (the
Holy Prophet) died she was eighteen years old".

Sahih Muslim p. 716

We remember that a Muslim may not marry more than one wife
unless he treats them all alike. This is humanly speaking
impossible. One cannot love several wives equally. This
applies likewise to Muhammad as we already realized.
Elsewhere we read of scenes of jealousy:

"Ayesha reported: I
used to backbite those (females) who offered themselves
for [sic] the Messenger of Allah. So I asked: Does a
woman offer herself? Then the Almighty Allah revealed:
You may put off whom you please of them, you may take to
you whom you wish, and if you desire any whom you have
separated, no blame attaches to you (33:5IQ). I said: It
seems to me that your Lord hastens to satisfy your
desire".

Mishkat I, p. 210

"Aisha (Allah be
pleased with her) reported that Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him) sought our permission when he had a
(turn to spend) a day with (one of his wives) amongst us
(whereas he wanted to visit his other wives too). It was
after this that this was revealed: 'Thou mayest put off
whom thou pleasest of them, and take for thee whom thou
pleasest".

Sahih Muslim, p. 762

This is the full text:

"O Prophet! We have
made lawful to thee thy wives to whom thou hast paid
their dowers; and those whom thy right hand possess out
of the prisoners of war whom Allah has assigned to thee;
and daughters of thy paternal uncles and aunts, and
daughters of thy maternal uncles and aunts, who migrated
(from Mecca) with thee; and any believing woman who
dedicates her soul to the Prophet if the Prophet wishes
to wed her - this only for thee, and not for the
Believers (at large). We know what We have appointed for
them as to their wives and the captives whom their right
hands possess; - in order that there should be no
difficulty for thee. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most
Merciful.

Thou mayest defer (the
turn of) any of them that thou pleasest, and thou mayest
receive any thou pleasest; and there is no blame on thee
if thou invite one whose (turn) thou hadst set
aside".

Surah 33:50-51

We cannot see that Muhammad's marriages were primarily
acts of compassion as Islam maintains.

We believe this to be a cover-up:

"Narrated Qatada:
Anas ibn Malik said: 'The Prophet used to visit all his
wives in a round, during the day and night and they were
eleven in number'. I asked Anas: 'Had the Prophet the
strength for it?' Anas replied, 'We used to say that the
Prophet was given the strength of thirty (men)'. And
Sa'id said on the authority of Qatada that Anas had told
him about nine wives only (not eleven)".

Al-Bukhari I, p. 165

"Ubayd Allah Ibn Musa
... said: The Apostle of Allah, may Allah bless him,
said: Gabriel brought a kettle from which I ate and I was
given the power of sexual intercourse equal to forty
men".

Because polygamy excludes devoted love, for love between
the sexes is exclusive, it is degraded in essence to mere
sexual fulfillment. No woman who loves her husband and wishes
to be fully loved in return, wants to tolerate a rival. One
may loose sight of this fact in a polygamous society, but
even Ayesha, the favourite wife of Muhammad, confesses to
having been jealous. How much more would the other wives have
been!

Looking at the 'revelations' of the Qur'an and the Hadith,
we cannot fail to see that a number of statements deal with
personal advantages for Muhammad. These boosted his power and
influence as much as privileges concerning the other sex.
Again we are tempted to compare with Christ, of whom is said:

Each of
you should look not only to your own interest, but also
to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the
same as that of Christ Jesus: Who being in very nature
God, did not consider equality with God something to be
grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature
of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being
found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and
became obedient to death - even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave
him the name that is above every name, that at the name
of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven as on earth and
under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Phil. 2:4-11

The following commentary to a Hadith (Tradition) speaks
for itself:

All the utterances and
deeds of the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) are
thus divinely inspired, and in them alone can one find
the true meaning and the real significance of the Will of
Allah ... It is indeed a boundless favour of Allah to
humanity that, along with His message, He also sent to us
His Messenger to elaborate and elucidate it, and then
transmute it into practical reality under His direct
guidance.

'And We have sent unto
thee the Admonition that thou mayest expound unto mankind
that which hath been revealed towards them'.

Surah 16:44

As a final dispenser of
the Message of Allah, the Prophet alone is best fitted
and, therefore, divinely authorized to determine the
meanings of the Holy Qur'an, to unfold before
humanity the deep wisdom contained in it, and then, on
the basis of his wisdom, to purify the souls of the
people and elevate them to the highest pinnacle of
morality and God-consciousness.

'Say (O Muhammad): If you
love Allah, follow me and Allah will love you and forgive
you your sins: for Allah is Forgiving, a Dispenser of
Mercy'

Surah 3:31

It is by following
Muhammad (may peace be upon him) that we can achieve
the cherished goal of winning Allah's favour.

The question arises: Did
the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) utter not a word
besides what was revealed to him by the Lord in the form
of the Qur'an? The answer obviously is: No. He did also
explain the contents of the Divine revelations. He gave
practical demonstration of their significance by leading
his life according to them, and was thus instrumental in
moulding the lives of his Companions after his own
pattern of life. He did all this, of course, under Divine
inspiration".

"Malek-b-Anas
reported a defective tradition that the Holy Prophet
said: I leave with you two things; as long as you hold
fast by them both, you will never be misguided - the Book
of Allah and Sunnat of His Messenger.

al-Bukhari chapt. 2, vs. 3-4, Vol. IX,
p. 284; Mishkat I, p. 159

"Abu Hurairah
reported that the Messenger of Allah said: Every one of
my followers will enter Paradise except he who refused.
He was questioned: And who has refused (truth)? He said: Whoever
obeys me shall enter Paradise, and whoever disobeys me
has refused".

Mishkat I, p. 173

The Qur'an also teaches this:

"Ye have indeed in
the Apostle of Allah a beautiful pattern of (conduct).
For anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Final Day, and
who engages much in the praise of Allah.

O ye who believe! Enter
not the Prophet's houses until leave [= permission]
is given you - for a meal, (and then) not (so early as)
to wait for its preparation: but when ye are invited,
enter. And when ye have taken your meal, disperse,
without seeking familiar talk. Such (behaviour) annoys
the Prophet: he is ashamed to dismiss you, but Allah is
not ashamed (to tell you) the truth.

And when ye ask (his
ladies) for anything ye want, ask them from before a
screen: that makes for greater purity for your hearts and
for theirs.

Nor is it right for you
that ye should annoy Allah's Apostle, or that ye should
marry his widows after him at any time.

Those who annoy Allah
and His Apostle - Allah has cursed them in this world and
in the Hereafter, and has prepared for them a humiliating
Punishment.

It is not fitting for a
Believer, man or woman, when a matter has been decided by
Allah and His Apostle, to have any option about their
decision. If anyone disobeys Allah and His Apostle, he is
indeed on a clearly wrong Path.

We have made lawful to
thee any believing woman who dedicates her soul to the
Prophet if the Prophet wishes to wed her - this only
for thee, and not for the Believers (at large). We
know what We have appointed for them as to their wives
and the captives whom their right hands possess - in
order that there should be no difficulty for thee. And
Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Thou mayest defer (the
turn of) any of them that thou pleasest, and thou mayest
receive any thou pleasest: and there is no blame on thee
if thou invite one whose (turn) thou hast set
aside".

Surah 33:21, 53, 57, 36, 50-51

This, of course, is a personal extension of Surah 4:3, by
which a Muslim is allowed no more than 4 wives.

His childhood, youth and early married life up to his
calling (570-609 AD)

His prophethood and witness during the time in Mecca
(610-622 AD)

His life in Medina until his death (623-633 AD)

Even if we question his divine calling, we find the first
two sections of his life acceptable. His humility and seeming
sincerity, his marriage with Khadija and his devotion to
Allah, all leave a favourable impression.

However, the last part of his life seems to be in stark
contrast to the time before the 'hijrah'. Although loved by
his immediate followers, he became a dictator who found much
resistance and found means to break it. The 'ridda', the
rebellion and apostasy of many after Muhammad's death, is a
strong witness to that. The man of peace became a man of war.
The man devoted to one wife became a polygamist. The man who
humbly endured persecution, became the persecutor.

When scrutinizing the part of the Qur'an, which was
'received' before the 'hijrah' in Mecca, we find a lot of the
message Psalm-like and beautiful in diction and style. The
part added in Medina lacks these qualities. They are rather
like a string of commands and rules, and often threats,
lacking the poetic charm.

Religion and lust for booty (see 'Jihaad') filled the
ranks of his army, which increased during this time from 100
to 10,000!!!

Towards the end of Muhammad's life his religion was
claimed to be 'perfected'. His power and authority had little
opposition.

In the 6th year after the Hijrah, Muhammad and his
followers attempted to go to hostile Mecca to perform the
Hajj (pilgrimage). Meccans rejected this, but entered into a
treaty with the Muslims to allow them in the following year.
This was the famous 'Treaty of al-Hudaibiyah'. This is still
acclaimed to have been a victory, though it was not, for
Muhammad had to retreat until the next year.

In the 7th year AH the Umrah was performed. This led to a
friendlier relationship with Mecca.

The following years were filled with diplomatic
activities. Letters demanding submission to Allah were sent
to all rulers far and wide, including the Emperor of Byzanz.

In the 9th year AH Muhammad approached Mecca with an army
of 10 000. The gates opened and Mecca was taken. Islam was
enforced and stayed from that time on (January 630 AD).

Two months later Muhammad performed what is called his
"Farewell Pilgrimage". In his famous speech he
said:

"And I have left
among you a thing which if you adhere to, you will never
be misguided after this - the Book of Allah and what you
get from me by questions (Hadith)".

Mishkat I, p. 172

The Jewish settlement of Khaibar was attacked
unexpectantly and taken. One of the Jewish widows served
Muhammad a poisoned, cooked kid goat. Her treachery was
noticed, but somewhat late, for Muhammad suffered from the
consequences of this poisoning until his death.

In 632 AD Muhammad died quite unexpectedly in Ayesha's
arms after a short sickness.

Only one daughter, Fatima, survived him. His son Ibrahim
had died shortly before him at the tender age of fifteen
months.

Muhammad was well-loved and respected by his friends and
followers. He seems to have been convinced of his calling as
a Messenger of Allah.

If it is demanded of a person that he follow and obey a
certain leader, he will have to weigh the pros and cons in
order to reach a decision whether he should or should not
obey. When truth and eternal life are involved, this is all
the more important, for each person is personally responsible
for his decision. When we are told to follow the footsteps
and guidance of a "spiritual leader", our
confidence must not solely be based on emotions, but also on
sound evidences.

That presupposes a scrutiny of the quality of the life of
a leader. One should not give a deaf ear to negative reports,
provided they are substantiated. Also one should not explain
away possible flaws. But most of all one must have a fixed
standard by which to measure right and wrong, good and evil.
As Christians we use the standard that is found in the Bible.
Ultimately, our concept of what is moral and what is immoral
will find its root there.

In the light of what we studied now - even if the
presentation is slanted and the good sides of Muhammad have
been omitted - we find it very hard, indeed impossible - to
accept Muhammad as the final prophet of God.

What are the Islamic claims for his prophethood and how
should we evaluate it?

Since we have already dealt with this (see p. *) we need not expand on it
further.

2. PROPHECIES ATTRIBUTED TO MUHAMMAD

"The greatest thing
in miracles is a prophecy i.e. a forecast of future
events. This is not a political forecast but a forecast
of future secrets derived from Divine Knowledge. Prophecy
is greatest for the following reasons. It can be
historically proved but a miracle cannot. Prophecy
manifests God's fore-knowledge, while a miracle God's
power. As a knowledge is greater than power, prophecy is
greater than a miracle".

Mishkat IV, p. 396 - Commentary

The only 'real' prophecy recorded is:

The Roman Empire has been
defeated - in a land close by; but they (even) after
(this) defeat of theirs, will soon be victorious - within
a few years. With Allah is the Decision, in the past and
in the future; on that Day shall the Believers rejoice.

Surah 30:1-4

This passage refers to the defeat of the Byzantines in
Syria by the Persians under Khusran Parvis (615-616 AD, this
was years before the Hijrah). The defeat of the Persians
should take place soon - "in a small number of
years". In the light of this prediction, Abu Bakr
undertook a bet with Abai-ibn-Khalaf that this prediction
would be fulfilled within three years, but he was corrected
by Muhammad, who stated that the "small number" is
between three and nine years (Al-Baizawi). Muslims tell us
that the Byzantines overcame their enemies within seven
years. However, the fact is that the Byzantines defeated
Persia in 628 AD (Al-Baizawi commentary). That was twelve
years after the prediction of Muhammad. Consequently this
passage does not qualify as a prophecy, particularly as the
time between prophecy and fulfilment was far too short, and
the event was easily predictable.

The other 'prophecies' refer to Muhammad's victories and
those relating to the Qur'an itself. It is nearly impossible
to establish whether these prophecies were said before their
fulfilment, besides - they were either predictable, or just
war-propaganda. In this event Churchill might be called a
prophet too, for he predicted that the Allies would win the
war.

Applying Biblical standards, we find it difficult to reach
the conclusion that Muhammad was a prophet of God.

"How may we know the
Word which the Lord has not spoken?"

When a prophet speaks in the Name
of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true,
that is a word which the Lord has not spoken, the prophet
has spoken it presumptuously, you need not be afraid of
him.

Deut. 18:20-21

Set forth your case, says the
Lord, bring your proofs, says the King of Jacob. Let them
bring them and tell us what is to happen.

Tell us the former things, what
they are, that we may consider them, that we may know
their outcome, or declare us the things to come. Tell us
what is to come hereafter, that we may know that you
are gods.

Please Note: Most Muslims believe that Muhammad performed
miracles. Yet, the Qur'an denies that Muhammad did perform
miracles. But the Hadith report a number of miracles.

Qur'an:

They say: 'We shall not
believe in thee, until thou cause a spring to gush forth
for us from the earth. Or (until) thou have a garden of
date trees and vines, and cause rivers to gush forth in
their midst, carrying abundant water. Or thou cause the
sky to fall in pieces, as thou sayest (will happen)
against us, or thou bring Allah and the angels before
(us) face to face. Or thou have a house adorned with
gold, or thou mount a ladder right into the skies. No, we
shall not even believe in thy mounting until thou send
down to us a book that we could read'. Say: 'Glory to my
Lord! Am I aught but a man - an apostle?'.

Surah 17:90-93

In other words : "Am I more than a man, a
messenger?"

And we refrain from
sending the sign, only because the men of former
generations treated them as false: We sent the She-camel;
to the Thamud to open their eyes, but they treated her
wrongfully; We only sent the signs by way
of terror (and warning from evil).

Surah 17:59

And the Unbelievers say!
'Why is not a sign sent down to him from his Lord?' But
thou art truly a warner, and to every people a guide.

Surah 13:7

They say: 'Why is not a
sign sent down to him from his Lord?' Say: 'Allah
hath certainly power to send down a sign: But most of
them understand not'.

Surah 6:37

Say those without
knowledge: 'Why speaketh not Allah unto us? Or why
cometh not unto us a sign?'. So said the people
before them words of similar import. Their hearts are
alike. We have indeed made clear the signs unto any
people who hold firmly to Faith (in their hearts).
Verily, we have sent thee in truth as a bearer
of glad tidings and a warner.

Surah 2:118-119

The only 'sign' (= aya; also verse) Muhammad said had been
given to him was the Qur'an.

Hadith:

"The Prophet was
looking while riding upon his mule like one eagerly
longing to kill them. He said: This was when the blood
boiled in veins. Thereafter he took some pebbles and
threw them at the faces of the infidels and then said: Be
routed, by the Lord of Muhammad".

Mishkat IV, p. 411

This was supposed to have decided the battle in Muhammad's
favour.

"Anas reported: A man
wrote to the Prophet and he turned an apostate from Islam
and joined the infidels. The Prophet said: Verily the
earth will not accept him. Abu Talbah informed me
that he had come to the land wherein he died. He found
him thrown outside. He said: What is the matter with him?
They said: They buried him several times but the earth
did not accept him".

Mishkat IV, p. 419-420

"He said: And who is
to attest what you say? He said: This tree. The Apostle
of Allah then called it while he was by the side of a
valley, and so it came tearing the ground till it stood
in his presence. He wanted it to recite three
attestations. So it attested thrice as he had said and
then it returned to its root".

Mishkat IV, p. 447

"There is no water
with us to make therewith ablution and to drink except
what is in your jug. Then the Prophet placed his hand
unto the jug and water began to gush forth between his
gingers like springs. Thereupon we took drink and
made ablution. Jaber was asked: How many were you? He
said: Had we been one hundred thousands, it would have
surely sufficed us. We were fifteen hundreds".

Mishkat IV, p. 407

"Bara'a-b-A'jeb
reported: We were 1400 on the Day of Hudaibiyyah with the
Apostle of Allah, and in Hudaibiyyah was a well. We
exhausted it and left not a drop therein. It reached the
Prophet who came to it, sat down on its edge and
then called for a pot of water. He made ablution and then
gurgled and invoked. Thereafter he poured it therein and
said: Leave it for an hour. Then they allowed
satisfaction to themselves and to their riding animals by
water till they departed".

Mishkat IV, p. 408

"This hadith has been
transmitted on the authority of Abdullah b.Masud (who
said): We were along with Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) at Mina that moon was split up into two. One of
its parts was behind the mountain and the other one was
on this side of the mountain. Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him) said to us: Bear witness to
this".

Sahih Muslim IV, p. 1467

The last passage even more than the others shows the
latent desire of the people to have some supernatural proof
for their faith. We are told that "at Mina the moon was
split up into (sic) two". This links up with Surah 54.
It is called "The Moon", and begins: "The hour
(of judgement) is nigh, and the moon is cleft asunder
...". The context shows this was meant to be a sign, but
people rejected it.

Have we ever seen a halfmoon in the night sky? Of course
we have. We did not assume, however, that the other half 'was
behind the mountain'. It could well have been, according to
another writer, that 'the mountain covered one of its parts'.

Eager Muslims come up with similar stories. When one of
the first men stopped on the moon, he heard the Kalima being
recited: "There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his
messenger". He also discovered the crack in the moon which
remained after the splitting of the moon. How far can human
imagination go?!

To the Christian reader many of these reports sound
very much like the legendary stories of the New Testament
Apocrypha. These are well-meaning "reports",
often very fanciful in character. They lack just one thing:
authenticity. The Apocrypha dates mainly from the second
century AD, i.e. 70-170 years after the death of Jesus.
The Hadith was compiled approximately 250-300 years after
the Hijra. This being the case, we have to take both the
Apocrypha and the Hadith with a pinch of salt.

4. ALLEGED PROPHECIES ABOUT MUHAMMAD IN THE BIBLE

And remember, Jesus,
the son of Mary, said: 'O children of Israel! I
am the apostle of Allah (sent) to you confirming the
Law (which came) before me, and giving glad tidings of
an Apostle to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad.

Surah 61:6

Those who follow the
Apostle, the unlettered Prophet whom they find
mentioned in their own (Scriptures) - in the Law and the
Gospel; for he commands them what is just and forbids
them what is evil; he allows them as lawful what is good.

Surah 7:157

These verses prompted many a Muslim to search both the
oral and the Gospel for such prophecies. In John 14:16 they
read about the "Comforter" (Paracletos). They
reasoned that it should read 'Periclytos', which would be
'the praised one', the same as Ahmad or Muhammad. This led
Muslims to the assumption that Muhammad is foretold in the
Bible.

(We will not consider this argument any further here, but
rather refer the trainer to Volume II of our Textbooks. Under
Chapter 2: "Islamic Allegations of the Corruption of the
Bible" this argument will be dealt with in more detail.)

While we respect Muhammad for his statesmanship and
bravery and commend him for his care for his people,
especially widows and orphans, we cannot accept him as a
prophet of God! There are three reasons:

Muhammad did not have the divine
credentials as required by Scripture (see next page).

We have to strongly suspect his message to
have come from occult sources.

His personal life style, particularly with
regard to his excessive involvement with the opposite
sex, his moral ethics regarding his enemies
and the fact that personal advantages were
"revealed" to him and are contained in the
Qur'an.

When we evaluate Muhammad's life, we should do it in the
light of Scripture:

Lord, who may dwell in your
sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? He whose walk
is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks
the truth from his heart and has no slander on his
tongue, who does his neighbour no wrong and casts no slur
on his fellow man, who despises a vile man but honours
those who fear the Lord, who keeps his oath even when it
hurts.

This is what the Lord says -
Israel's King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: I am the
first and I am the last; apart from me there is no god.
Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let
him declare and lay out before me what has happened since
I established my ancient people, and what is yet to come
- yes, let him foretell what will come. Do not
tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and
foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any
God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not
one".

"I am the Lord,
who has made all things, who alone stretches out the
heavens, who spread out the earth by myself, who
foils the signs of false prophets and makes
fools of diviners, who overthrows the learning of the
wise and turns it into nonsense, who carries
out the words of his servants and fulfil the predictions
of his messengers, who says of Jerusalem, 'It
shall be inhabited' of the towns of Judah, 'They shall be
built'.

Isa. 44:6-8, 24-26

'Present your case', says the
Lord. 'Set forth your arguments', says Jacob's King.
Bring in (your idols) to tell us what is
going to happen. Tell us what the former
things were, so that we may consider them and know their
final outcome. Or declare to us the things to
come, tell us what the future holds so that we may know
that you are gods. Do something, whether good
or bad, so that we will be dismayed and filled with fear.
But you are less than nothing and your works are utterly
worthless; he who chooses you is detestable.

Isa. 41:21-24

The prophet who prophesies ...
will be recognized as one truly sent by God only
if his prediction comes true.

Jer. 18:9

I will raise up for them a
prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my
words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I
command him. You may say to yourselves: 'How
can we know when a message has not been spoken by the
Lord?' If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the
Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message
the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken
presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.

deals in detail with the collection of
the Qur'an, its sources and the tradition in connection
with Muhammad's life and evaluates some basic teachings
in Islam, such as Predestination, the Role of Women and
the Sunnah principle. (pp. 66-88, 108-123)

endeavours to evaluate Muhammad
objectively with the purpose of getting as close to
the original as possible. In addition to a
biographical record there are chapters analysing his
personality, his prophetic experience and his image
in popular Islam.

this widely accepted Islamic
textbook presents Islam in a rather idealistic
manner. Students are tought about early Islam,
teachings and practices, Islamic theology and
philosophy and some famous Muslims. Even though we
may not buy everything presented here we recommend it
to discover the Muslim perception about their
religion. (Textbook I, pp. 1-82)

The Great Deception, How Muhammad tried
to win the Christians for Islam, Abd Al-Masih, Light of
Life, 1995, 179 pages.

this exegesis of Sura 3:33-66
documents Muhammad's encounter with a Christian
delegation and how he argued to win them for Islam
without compromising his authority. Muslim attitudes
towards Christians are still affected by this
approach.